Faith Walking on Broken Glass
by paperwingsandbrokenlegs
Summary: just a bunch of drabbles centred around the movie.
1. Danny: December 10th 1941

_hi!_

_well, i was feeling angsty. _

_disclaimer: don't own the characters or the movie. just playin' with michael bay's toys. promise to return them relatively undamaged._

XXXXX

Doolittle wants to put a mission together, but the only pilots he has at hand are them, and he obviously needs more. They are quick to recommend their squadron, and Danny makes a case for Gooz, but it will be a few days before everyone is assembled and ready for training proper. They've come with their bags packed to find that there isn't room for them; the base is littered with planes and hangars and engineers, but no space has been made for the men who will fly them.

That's how Danny finds himself awakened for the second night in a row in a no-name motel on the outskirts of town by the sound of Rafe's nightmares. The worn curtains do nothing to stop the streetlight from shining right into the room and his watch indicates that it is barely past three. To his left, Rafe mutters something unintelligible and twists in his sheets helplessly, reliving past horrors. It's strange because, for as long as he can remember, he's been the one with the nightmares and baggage and Rafe's always there to wake him up. Maybe that's what so fucked up about this; that he cannot even summon the strength end his pain. Danny doesn't even know what he is so scared of to the point where he's willing to leave Rafe to suffer.

It might be the fact that it takes away the illusion of Rafe's invincibility. Rafe's the strong one, the one with all the answers, the hero; that he is plagued with nightmares makes him seem human and, in turn, no longer indefeasible. Only now does he consider the full extent of Rafe's struggle to return; being shot down, traipsing all over occupied France and that day. Rafe whimpers, and his heart breaks.

Slowly, hesitantly, Danny pulls himself out of bed and slinks over to his friend's side. Sweat beads on his forehead and he is trapped in his tangled sheets, but desperately claws at them anyway. Danny puts a hand on his shoulder and shakes lightly. "Rafe?"

The struggling ceases and when Rafe opens his eyes, they are confused and haunted. Never has his friend looked so old. But, true to form, he is quick to ask "Danny? What's wrong?"

Danny shakes his head and stalks back to his own bed, leaving Rafe to sit up and rub tiredly at his eyes. He wonders whether Rafe remembers and decides against asking. And then he decides hell, he'll ask after all.

"What were you dreaming about?"

Silence.

"Lollipops and candycanes." The snarky answer is classic, but somehow something is missing. Maybe it's the unspoken connotation that he's fine because he's snarking, see?

Danny doesn't know what to say anymore because he knows what's kept these nightmares at bay for the past year; Evelyn. And now that Danny's taken that from him, Rafe is lost. There's nothing either of them can do about it. So they lie there in the not-dark, so close that Danny can reach out and touch Rafe but with a gulf between them that their friendship cannot bridge.

XXXXX

_review and feed the dragon!_


	2. Rafe: December 10th 1941

_disclaimer: standard disclaimer applies. refer to first chapter_

XXXXX

"What were you dreaming about?"

He wants so bad to speak out to someone about the nightmares, the Huns, the cold that still seeps into his bones but knows immediately that he won't. It's enough that he has to be shaken awake like some child.

"Lollipops and candycanes."

There is no comeback, no witty repartee. No response. Danny just stares silently ahead and the seconds tick by. He rubs his tired eyes with the heel of his palm and settles back into bed with the hope of getting an hour or two of dreamless sleep. It would be so much easier if he could close his eyes and see her, but all that comes to mind now when he thinks of her is her betrayal. There were two people in the world he depended on, and both had pulled the rug from beneath his feet. Oh sure, they thought he was dead. Convenient. It was silly, but he was disappointed by the apparent ease with which they moved on; was he really that expendable to them?

He can tell by the sound of his breathing that Danny is still awake. He's probably wondering what was giving him nightmares; probably lying there torn between pushing the conversation further and giving him space. Rafe is too damn tired to tell him to sleep. He's angry too, but whether it's anger at Danny for screwing this all up or himself for not accepting that his friend had every right to love Evelyn he does not know.

The sun slowly creeps over the horizon and filters into the room. Danny gets up, pulls a towel off the rack and heads for the bathroom, but stops at the door.

"Hey, you want the first shower?"

"Nahh, you go ahead."

The sound of water hitting tiles comes shortly and he suddenly finds it easier to breathe; like a stifling presence has been removed from the room. It surprises him when he realises that that presence is Danny. Danny, the boy he practically raised, the only one he can truly count on, and who knows him better than anyone, is now someone he doesn't want to be alone with.

He doesn't know how long this will go on or if he can find it in his heart to truly forgive Danny, but he knows one thing; he misses his best friend.

XXXXX

_the speed of progress of the fic is directly proportional to reviews_


	3. Laura: December 13th 1941

_third chapter, y'all. enjoy :)_

_disclaimer: standard disclaimer applies. refer to first chapter._

XXXXX

Laura MacCawley knows that she is a strong woman; she's lived through having a husband in the war and a feckless, restless son whose reading problem would have frustrated many a good person. Still, as she sticks two stars on the window of her living room, she cannot help the tears that spill from her eyes.

_They looked smart in their pressed shirts and slacks and looked out of place standing by the bus stop where the Southern Express would take them to their new home. They were early; the bus had yet to arrive and the MacCawleys had the place all to themselves. _

_Rafe, as always, was vibrant and full of energy. He slung his duffel over his shoulder, put it down and picked it up again in a sort of routine and his eyes constantly surveyed the horizon for the bus. Danny on the other hand was more subdued and sat quietly as Jake MacCawley reminded them for the last time to behave. She took in the sight of them and committed each movement, each quirk to memory; for the days when she would not have them sitting right in front of her._

_Too soon the telltale roar of the bus could be heard and it was time for one last round of goodbye hugs. Laura promised herself that she would not cry today; it would be unfair to Rafe to see him off with tears and sorrow when al he was doing was pursuing his lifelong dream. She wrapped her arms around her tall, muscular son and remembered the days when she sued to carry him on one hip as she did the housework. He hugged her back and planted a kiss on her cheek. _

"_See you around, Ma."_

_She cupped his cheek affectionately. "Take care of yourself, Rafe. Call us when you reach the base, okay?"_

_Danny was standing behind him and she reached out to take his hand. He had lived with them for so long that she almost thought of him as her second son. Almost. The shadow of his broken family hung over him too much for him to completely be a MacCawley, but he was nevertheless a large part of their lives. She was surprised when he stepped forward and caught her in a hug; a real one, with his face pressed against hers and his tall shoulders hunched over. She put one arm around his shoulders and stroked his hair; something he had never let her do before. _

"_Bye Mom," he whispered, so softly that Laura wasn't sure whether she was meant to hear it or not; not that it mattered, because that was when her resolve crumbled. A sob escaped her lips and when she let go of him, her face was wet with tears. _

"_You boys take care of each other now. Write home so I know you're okay."_

_Rafe stood at the door of the bus, impatient to be on his way, but she caught his eyes sweeping over the view of cornfields and knew he was going to miss home. Her son, the troublemaker, breaker of teenage hearts and hero in the making; he was just like his father. Danny waited behind Rafe, and it was him who she wanted to take into her arms and never let go; she would miss those beautiful brown eyes intently locked on her over the kitchen counter where he used to watch her bake. She would tell him about their extended family and whatever gossip made its way to her that week that her husband and son refuse to listen to, and pretend not to notice whenever he pinched cookie dough from her bowl. _

_Then the bus was gone and she was left with an empty spot where her sons once stood. Jake held her hand and she could see that he was struggling to hold his tears back too. Tennessee was going to be so quiet without those two. _

The letter on her lap will join the others; in a box in the attic, tied together with green tape and preserved lovingly. Danny still writes her every now and then, although she hasn't seen him or Rafe in years. This letter, written in his cursive script, says that they have some sort of special training with the force and will not be able to write home for several weeks; she knows enough of the military to realise that they're involved in something dangerous and prays that her boys will come home in one piece.

Until that day, these two stars on her window are all she has.

XXXXX

_please review!!!_


	4. Danny: April 13th 1941

_new chapter up._

_disclaimer: standard disclaimer applies. refer to first chapter._

XXXXX

That thing they always say about not knowing the value of something until you lose it; it's completely true. He knows that without Rafe, his life would have been awful. Hell, his father might even have killed him. Still, he had no idea that he had grown to see Rafe as an indelible part of his existence and no idea that he would be so lost now that Rafe is gone. Truly gone. When he had come to Hawaii, it was the longest he had been away from Rafe, but that distance was mitigated by the odd letter that he would sometimes get and the knowledge that his friend was out there saving other people like he had done for him.

But now that he is dead, Danny feels like he is living on a different planet altogether. Even though Rafe had been in England, there was an implied agreement that he would come back eventually. Now that Rafe is never going to come back, it feels like he has been thrown out of the house he grew up in and told never to come back; he feels homeless. It is not surprising, because his home had always been wherever Rafe was. What is surprising is the realisation that he doesn't really know who he is anymore.

The week that the news reached them, another pilot was killed on the base in an unfortunate training accident, and that is why he is here today in the cemetery having an epiphany. As he stands in line with the rest of the squadron, rifle at the ready, listening to some heartbroken younger sister sing 'amazing grace' over her brother's coffin, his thoughts inevitably wander to the fact that Rafe will never have the hero's funeral that he deserves. She has a strong voice for someone so young.

_Twas grace that taught my heart to fear_

_And grace my fears relieved_

Before he really got to know Rafe, Danny had somewhat accepted that his life was never going to be anything like it should be and learnt not to hope for what he could not have. The reality was that his father was alcoholic and they were poor, and while he knew vaguely that he was losing out on the wonders of life, it never really bothered him. Then Rafe came and showed him all that he could be and suddenly he was afraid that he would never get the chance to; suddenly he resented his father's weakness and the way it was holding him back.

And again, it was Rafe who showed him the way out. It was Rafe who started bringing an extra sandwich to school for him, who made sure Danny spent as much time at the MacCawley's as he did at home. It was when Rafe insisted that he be included in the family photo that Danny knew he was going to be alright.

_How precious did that grace appear_

_The hour I first believed_

_Through many dangers, toils and snares_

_We have already come_

_Twas grace that brought us safe thus far_

_And grace will lead us home_

Joining the Army Air Corps was more difficult than either had imagined; the physical training alone cut down the number of fresh recruits by half. The night classes trimmed what was left to a mere handful. On the third day, after sleeping only four hours the night before and being made to run 15 miles in full kit, he had told Rafe that he couldn't do it anymore. He would always remember Rafe's response.

"Danny, you gotta trust me, man. I'd never put you through what I think you can't do."

Over the weeks that followed, while the rest of the men tried to complete the run on time to impress their C.O., he did it because Rafe had faith in him and he had faith in Rafe.

The girl's voice breaks as she reaches the song's most recognised and most beautiful verse.

_Amazing grace _

_How sweet the sound_

_That saved a wretch like me_

_I once was lost but now am found_

_Was blind but now I see_

It is only when the droplets hit the barrel of his rifle does Danny realise he has been crying.

XXXXX

review and feed the dragon :)


	5. Rafe: December 8th 1941

_disclaimer: standard disclaimer applies. refer to first chapter. additionally, I do not own the song nor claim to. _

XXXXX

He has no words to describe what had just happened; the sight of thousands of coffins laid out in the now-vacated hangar is almost too much to bear. Everytime he thinks that he has finally accepted the reality of the situation, some grieving widow or friend sobs and his heart shatters all over again. There are so many to be buried that there is but one service for all of them. Those who have survived come decked in full uniform and stand at attention for the duration of the eulogy. At the tail end of the service comes a rendition of 'Amazing Grace' by a children's choir led by someone's mother. He doesn't know if he can survive this without collapsing into a heap of tears. The only thought that sustained him through his ordeal in France was that once he got home, it would all be over. He couldn't have been further from the truth.

_This earth shall soon dissolve like snow_

_The sun forbear to shine_

_But God who called me here below_

_Will be forever mine_

He shakes his head at the lyrics. They are right about the world falling to pieces; in a mind-bogglingly short space of time, America has declared war on both Japan and Germany, and lost so much territory to them in Southeast Asia. They will fight them, of course, but he has seen the effect of war upon the land in England and it saddens him to think that virtually no part of the world will escape that fate.

_Yes when this flesh and heart shall fail_

_And mortal life shall cease_

_I shall possess within the veil_

_A life of joy and peace_

Rafe doesn't know how long he can go on like this; he feels like he's an old racehorse being pushed to run anyway. He'll give this fight everything he's got but he's not sure that's going to be enough. All his life he's waited for a moment like this; a moment of glory, but now that it's here, all he wants to do is go back to the sun-kissed fields of Tennessee and live a simple life. Danny passes in front of him and he wonders what his friend is thinking. He looks alright, but then Rafe supposes he looks alright too. He wonders if Danny wishes he was back home and something clicks.

Danny never had the golden, carefree childhood that he did. Danny had seen some of the worst of people and life before Rafe could even spell. Yet here he is now, standing tall, carrying on without a word of complaint; without any indication whatsoever of the wounds he's suffered so far.

_Amazing grace_

_How sweet the sound_

_That saved a wretch like me_

Just as he hits a new low, he feels a hand land on his shoulder. Rafe turns around, half-surprised, and sees Danny. Danny's warm eyes bore deep into his own and he knows that his friend can see past his façade; can see that he is far from okay. Still, there is no judgement in his eyes, no pity, no disgust, only concern. His eyes say that it's okay for Rafe to break now, because he's got his back. And just like that, Rafe knows without a doubt where he will find the strength to see this through to the end.

_I was once lost but now am found_

_Was blind but now I see_

XXXXX

_come on, guys...leave a review. it's not so hard but the wonders it does for the author is amazing._


	6. Evelyn: December 7th 1941

_hi y'all!_

_latest update_

_disclaimer: standard disclaimer applies. please refer to first chapter._

XXXXX

She tries to sleep but the empty bed next to hers will not let her; all she can think of is that Betty was lying there not twenty-four hours ago, and now she's dead. To think that she callously told the sailor carrying her to just chuck the body in the corner makes Evelyn sick to her stomach and she rolls over miserably, wishing that Danny was here. If there was one thing that that boy can do, it is comfort her; he knows instinctively when she wants to talk and when she just wants to be held. She doubts that he is sleeping very well too. Hell, she'll be surprised if anyone on the damned island gets any sleep tonight.

Half an hour later, she's ready to pull her hair out in frustration; the night air is cold, she's underdressed and Danny has disappeared. He's not in the barracks, not at the Hula-la or even in the makeshift sleeping quarters the made for the dispossessed military men at the local elementary school. He's very good at making himself scarce when he wants to, she knows that, but it disturbs her that she knows without a doubt where Rafe is but cannot tell where Danny is even if her life depends on it.

Rafe is staying at the Roadtripper's Motel, and when she gets there for the first time, she's impressed. The rooms are more like little chalets than true-blue motel rooms; some of them have laundry hanging on lines and one even has a chicken coop. Evelyn finds room number 24 and reaches out to knock on the door when she hears voices. Pressing her ear to the door, she catches a few sentences.

"_Here, take my handkerchief. Never, at any crisis of your life, have I known you to have a handkerchief."_

"_Rhett! Rhett, where are you going?"_

Going with the wind, he was. Evidently, Rafe was amending his lack of sleep by watching some television; maybe if she had tried that instead of traipsing all about the island at night by herself, she'd at least be comfortable now. If she were asked several years later why she did what she was about to do, Evelyn herself would not know the answer; it is one of those things which people do with nary a thought. Without wasting a moment, she opens the door and steps in, and then almost stops breathing at the sight before her.

Rafe is in bed, propped up on his pillow but his head is thrown back in sleep and he snores like a freight train. It is cute, but there is nothing particularly extraordinary about this. No, what makes the scene so breathtakingly beautiful is the way his right hand rests on Danny's head. Danny is curled on his side, back to Rafe, and she can hear him breathe in between the snores. Scarlett's loud, high-pitched whining fills the room but it does not disturb their slumber. She loves them and hates them at the same time; she'll be surprised to find a virgin on this island when tomorrow rolls along, but the only two men she's ever loved turn to each other for comfort instead of her.

She lets the door swing shut with a loud thump and feels a twinge of guilt when they both jump, eyes wide in near panic. Danny's expression quickly morphs to one of guilt and Rafe looks like he's being made to swallow a very bitter pill; the former moves like he's going to flee and she quickly speaks.

"Wait. Wait….just stop."

They freeze, exchanging a quick look. Probably wondering whether the stress of the day finally caught up with her, something she isn't entirely sure of at this point either. Heart pounding at the audacity of what she wants and finding that she doesn't care what anybody thinks of it, herself included, Evelyn climbs onto the bed and settles in between the two of them. If they are shocked, they're very good at hiding it, and she suddenly feels very tired.

"I just…." She trails off, not knowing how to put into words what she feels.

"It's okay." Danny soothes her immediately, hand softly stroking the side of her face; he looks slightly worried.

"We're here." That's Rafe, and she feels his hand grip her shoulder.

"Don't go," she whispers, and gives in to the darkness because she knows that she's as safe as she can ever be.

When the sun comes up in the morning and shines in her eyes, Evelyn reluctantly stirs and remembers very quickly where she is. She's wrapped almost octopus like around Danny, head resting against his collarbone where she can feel every breath he takes. Danny is sleeping flat on his back on the edge of the bed, and she wonders why he hasn't fallen off yet when she catches sight of Rafe's hand clutching a fistful of Danny's t-shirt. His head is pillowed on her shoulder and he's not snoring anymore.

And even though the sun hurts her eyes and she can't feel her arm where it is trapped under Rafe's bulk, she wants this moment to last forever because this is it; as long as the three of them are together, they've got all the love they could ever need, and that is enough.

XXXXX

_it's a little kinkier than my usual, but what do you think?_


	7. Rafe: December 13th 1941

_new chapter!_

_disclaimer: standard disclaimer applies. refer to first chapter._

XXXXX

He wakes up with a jolt and curses when he sees the dark skies outside; he hasn't had a day of untroubled sleep since he came back and one of these days it's going to show. To his left Anthony sleeps like a starfish, limbs akimbo. Rafe rolls over to see Danny because that's what he always does, and is met with the sight of an empty bed. His heart rate immediately climbs a few notches; Danny is an adult, perfectly capable of looking after himself but that doesn't mean that he's okay with not knowing where he is.

Rafe lies there for a minute that feels like an eternity and tries to think of something, anything else. Finally, he rolls out of bed and checks the bathroom. It is empty; his sense of disquiet grows. He tries to tell himself that this is silly, but there's an alarm going off in his head that won't be silenced by anything other than the physical presence of his friend. Half-angry at himself and half-angry at Danny for making him tramp about in his sleep clothes in the frigid December air, Rafe looks all over the hangar to no avail.

The only other place to look is the small bar that's on the corner of the base. The need to make sure Danny is okay outweighs the embarrassment of walking into a public place in his jammies, but he is going to kill that kid when he finds him. When he opens the door, the bartender looks up at him in surprise but doesn't say a word; Rafe doesn't say anything either. The reason for this is the music that fills the air, that's coming from the dilapidated piano in the corner. It's Danny, and he has his back to the door, but Rafe can see his long fingers tenderly coaxing the most beautiful sounds from the long-forgotten instrument.

The song that he's playing is something else entirely; it's heavy and fills him with a sense of loss, longing and despair. It's as if the music itself is crying for something, full of heartbreak and love at the same time, and his heart literally aches as Danny plays. If he could think, he would have wondered where Danny learnt to play and why he never did before this; why he thought that this gift was something he needed to hide. The song bleeds into the air and the bartender's hands shake as he wipes glasses.

The song slows down and he knows it is at its end. Danny's head is bowed low over the piano as he strokes the last few keys quietly; it occurs to Rafe hands that can create such wonderment should not be used to kill and he wishes not for the first time that his friend would leave the Air Force. Slowly, he makes his way to the piano and stands in silence by his side.

Danny looks up at him in surprise and Rafe is surprised himself to see trepidation in his eyes. Since when did Danny look at him with fear? Just how messed up have things become?

"Uh…I never knew you could play."

Danny doesn't say anything, so he makes another stab at conversation. "It's really good. What was it?"

"Why'd you come here?"

"I wake up and you're missing. What d'you think I'd do?" It comes out a little sharper than he intends, but damn if that wasn't a stupid question.

Danny sighs. "Look, Rafe, you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine."

"You're a lot of things, but fine ain't one of them. And since when was I supposed to stop worrying about you?"

"Since you wanted to."

Rafe has nothing to say to that; no witty comeback, no heartfelt reassurance, because Danny is right and wishing that he isn't will not make it so.

XXXXX

_if it helps (and for me it does), the song that Danny is playing is Tennessee by Hans Zimmer. _

_short and sweet: please review!_


	8. Danny: December 13th 1941

_disclaimer: standard disclaimer applies. refer to first chapter._

XXXXX

Rafe's silence confirms his suspicions, and Danny feels his heart sink to his toes. He knows that Rafe will always look out for him, always put himself in between danger and the younger pilot, but never before has it seemed like a chore. He doesn't know when he noticed it; whether it is the fact that Rafe has yet to share anything about how he feels about everything he's been through, or the way that he almost begged him not to sign up for the mission, but now that he has, it's all he can see.

Theirs is a time of heroes and courage, of self-sacrifice and good hearts, not a time of scholars or pacifists. Staying out the war had done nothing to keep the war from coming to American shores, and only those with the foresight to see this coming saw the rest of them through. Rafe was right to go to England, as much as it is the reason for the mess between them and he is, for all of his good intentions, the ostrich that stuck its head under the sand.

And that is what has him sitting in a bar at an ungodly hour playing the piano like he's three again; that he hates the way that the one time he wants something for himself, the one time he tries to be selfish, he loses something anyway. He's always had to choose; his happiness or his dad's, a degree or the Army Air Corps, and now Rafe or Evelyn. He hates that Rafe is angry at him for not just stepping aside and letting him get back together with her, hates that there is this voice at the back of his head saying that if he gives her the choice, she'll probably leave him, hates himself for being too selfish to give her a choice.

"If you want some sleeping pills, I can get them for you."

Rafe turns to face him. "What?"

"I don't mind going to the nurses' station and asking for some pills. I know you won't."

"That obvious, huh?"

"Not to anyone else, but if you keep this up, it's gonna show."

"Nahh." Rafe says one word, but he can hear the unspoken rejection behind it; a year ago, Rafe would have been happy to let him break into the nurses' station and steal something if it came down to that, but they're not in a place to be doing each other favours now. Danny doesn't know if they ever will, and his hands glide over the keys again.

XXXXX

_not my best piece of work, but i will be back with better. reviews will help very much in determining how soon._


	9. Evelyn: December 21st 1941

_new chapter. i had no idea that evelyn has the status of the devil incarnate on ; story traffic reveals as much. anyway, even knowing that, i just had to write this. _

_disclaimer: standard disclaimer applies. refer to first chapter._

XXXXX

She reads his letters with a sense of disquiet; Danny doesn't tell her much about himself or Rafe, but writes instead about how things are and gives her his view on the progress of the war. They're always outdated by the time they reach her, but she's not surprised to discover that he is right on the money when it comes to predicting what the Germans will do next. As much as his political commentary never dulls, it is the things that he does not write about that have her worried. He doesn't tell her how things are between Rafe and himself, or whether he misses her.

Unlike Rafe's letters, to whom she could reel off pages without ever realising it, she finds it unspeakably difficult to write to Danny, not least because she's afraid of sounding juvenile and unlearned. She smiles when that thought runs through her mind, because it draws her into a memory of happier times.

_Danny's warm breath tickles her neck, but she can't move from where she is lying without waking him. He's not really asleep anymore, but lightly dozing as the temperate morning sun warms the world up. They're in a little bed and breakfast overlooking one of Tahiti's more secluded beaches, and she's extraordinarily contented. It was all Betty's fault, really; she had booked this holiday for herself and Red, but fell sick at the last moment, and practically begged Evelyn to go because they wouldn't refund her money. _

_She wasn't too keen on the idea of sharing a bed with him; sex was one thing, but the intimacy of sharing a bed was somewhat overwhelming, although that didn't stop him from climbing in and snuggling up with her like she was a large pillow. _

_She likes it now, though; his body is warm, and Danny is nothing short of the most adorable thing she's ever seen, especially when he's half-asleep like this. He looks so young, and his hair inevitably falls in his face and it takes all her will not to tease it back. _

"_D'you know that you don't even look twenty sometimes?"_

"_Mmmm…"_

"_I'm not joking."_

"_I know. Always asking for ID at the liquor store." His sentences aren't quite sentences yet and his eyes are still closed._

"_I'm not surprised." She's wide awake, and it's getting rather boring being his pillow. "I mean, I'd never guess that you are twenty-five."_

"_I'm not," he mumbles. _

"_Fine, twenty-four. What's a few months anyway?"_

_He doesn't lift his head from where it's resting on her shoulder. "Twenty-two."_

"_Sorry?"_

"_I'm twenty-two."_

_That shocks her. "What?"_

_He must have heard the panic in her voice, because he says "It's no big deal."_

"_I thought…I thought you and Rafe were in the same class."_

"_We were." He sits up, props himself on his forearms so that he's looking at her but still pretty much lying down. "He got held back a year and I was pushed up a year."_

"_But I'm older than Rafe by a year, so that means that I'm FOUR years older than you." It is all so wrong, and she can think of a few choice names that her mother has for women like that. _

_He nods. "I know."_

"_Don't you find that weird? I mean, don't you want a woman of your own age?"_

_He smiles, dimples in his cheeks. "Ev, four years is nothing. It's not like you're my mother's age or something."_

"_It's wrong."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because…because it's like I'm taking advantage of you. I feel like a pervert."_

_Danny drops his head back onto her shoulder, and she knows that he is smiling even though she can only see the top of his head. "You can do whatever you like to me as long as," he puts an arm around her waist and pulls her closer "you stay here."_

She smiles, and goes back to worrying. As much as she wants to 'stay here', the realities of war mean that there is no way she can be with him now. It's not something she wasn't aware of right from the beginning; falling in love with a military man means that the chances of separation are always high, but never did she expect it to hurt so much. All she wants is to go back to that day and just stay there with that beautiful boy who loved her unconditionally.

XXXXX

review, please!


End file.
